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Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15579

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 15 8:18 am Post subject:
I don't know much about white tailed deer Jam Lady. Are they on the increase where you are, and are they as destructive as our deer?

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 15 6:00 pm Post subject:

They are big animals. An adult male deer usually weighs about 150 pounds. Female deer weigh about 100 pounds.

Their population is huge - no predators other than automobile and hunters. Frequently see does with twins, even occasionally triplets because they are so well fed on suburban backyards. Browsers, not grazers so the deer are killing forest regeneration by destroying the sapling trees and reducing undergrowth to a park-like appearance.

Here's a link with lots more information: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/fs1202/white-tailed-deer.asp

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45425
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 15 6:10 pm Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

We may have a few muntjac, but so far we haven't seen too much damage by them.

Had (I reckon) a 20 yr old apple tree stripped of bark to the height it could reach by a muntjac this winter, trunk is totally clean.

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 15 6:22 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Mistress Rose wrote:

We may have a few muntjac, but so far we haven't seen too much damage by them.

Had (I reckon) a 20 yr old apple tree stripped of bark to the height it could reach by a muntjac this winter, trunk is totally clean.

if you happen to want venison jerky just let me know lol

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45425
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 15 6:27 pm Post subject:
Thanks for the ogffer but it won't be halal will it?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 15 6:29 pm Post subject:
I think that Pilsbury was offering to jerkify the one that's damaged your trees so whether it's halal or not would depend on you.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 15 6:30 pm Post subject:

Jam Lady wrote:

They are big animals. An adult male deer usually weighs about 150 pounds. Female deer weigh about 100 pounds.

About the same size as Sika over here then, smaller than a lowland red and much bigger than a Roe.

I've got roe and red on my woodland, muntjac haven't managed to hitch a van ride down to me yet.

I just need to sort out some extra freezer space.

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 15 6:38 pm Post subject:
Lol i was indeed offering to save your trees

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 15 12:30 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Mistress Rose wrote:

We may have a few muntjac, but so far we haven't seen too much damage by them.

Had (I reckon) a 20 yr old apple tree stripped of bark to the height it could reach by a muntjac this winter, trunk is totally clean.

I have more problems with the Rabbits stripping the bark off the Apple trees. If I forget to check the netting guards, and we have snow -- disaster. They have killed at least three. They stripped a young Ash (to about a foot above ground) a few years ago - as far as I could tell they had completely ringed it, but it still survives.

The Muntjac had a go at one of the Apple trees a couple of years ago, but did it no serious damage.

Henry

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45425
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 15 5:24 am Post subject:

sean wrote:

I think that Pilsbury was offering to jerkify the one that's damaged your trees so whether it's halal or not would depend on you.

Ah, gotcha. We have a regular shooter nowadays. He's very good but you still get the odd bit of damage

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15579

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 15 7:57 am Post subject:
I had read about the damage white tailed deer did I think Jam Lady. Sounds as if a really serious cull in needed, same as deer in the UK.

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 15 2:51 pm Post subject:

The issue, Mistress Rose, is that New Jersey is a well populated state.

Total population in 2014 8,864,590
Pop. Density (per sq. km.) 451.99
Pop. Density (per sq. mi.) 1,170.64

Some communities have arranged for sharp shooters who are permitted to carry out the cull at night, jack-lighting the deer with spotlights. I think there is something about this in the link I provided.

There are also Bambi lovers who argue that we humans have invaded the dear deers habitat and we should learn to live with them and with the bears (yes, there are bears around here too.) That hunters are evil people who just like to kill and this is bad and nasty and not nice.

The conspiracy theorists insist that the state fish and wildlife commission is working to keep the deer population high so they can sell more hunting permits.

I have seen deer one at a time, in small groups, and more than 20 in a herd. The image I posted was taken through my kitchen window. Old books refer to deer as timid creatures of dawn and dusk (fancy word is crepuscular, I believe.) They are no longer timid, appear morning, noon, and night. I like to see them. I enjoy eating venison. I am disturbed at the damage they cause in the woodland. Major issue with no simple answer.

sueshells

Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 690
Location: North Bucks

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 15 3:18 pm Post subject:

We have muntjac in some numbers round here (North Bucks near Buckingham). There is a disused (soon to be reopened) railway line with a public footpath alongside and, last year, I turned onto the path with my dog and surprised two adult muntjacs with a tiny fawn. When the mother spotted me she shoved the fawn into the grass beside the path and legged it. I was able to get a close up view of the little animal as it lay, completely still, where Mum had left it. Have to say that it was very cute indeed! When we returned from the walk it had gone so i assume that Mum had retrieved it once the danger had passed.

Another time I found the chewed remains of one in a field nearby - just the hindquarters. Not sure what would have done that?

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15579

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 15 8:12 am Post subject:

Interesting Jam Lady. We have the same problem about culling in the UK. It is fine saying that we have invaded their territory, but certainly here their territory has increased enormously. When our in-rotation coppice was cut 14 years or so ago deer fencing wasn't really needed as the population wasn't that high, but now, in spite of culling, it is really needed.

Sueshells, the deer could have died naturally, have been killed by a car, a hunter who couldn't find it, or a poacher or killed by a dog. It could have been scavinged by anything, most probably a badger or fox. Not sure if a badger or fox would be able to kill anything other than a very sick or injured mutjac.

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